From Wikitravel

Jinan (济南 Jǐnán) is the capital of Shandong. It is on the Yellow River (Huang He).

[edit] Get in

Jinan is the hub of traffic for the region and province so you'll likely end up here if heading elsewhere in Shandong, notably Qingdao and Yantai. Most people will arrive by bus or train. Be advised that Jinan in infamous for the worst air pollution in the world and is famous in China as being one of the four hottest cities in the middle kingdom. Statistics are hard to find and often fudged but in 2004 it was ranked 8th in the world for air pollution. Also, the temperature in winter and summer is always fudged by the local govt. So when the news says its a balmy 38 degrees centigrade (100 degrees farenheit) rest assured it's more than likely 46 degrees (115 degrees farenheit) - because all city workers get to go home if the temperature boils over 40. So it never does. Likewise in winter.

[edit] By plane

You can fly to Jinan, however keep in mind that the airport is way out of town.It is located at 40km northeast of downtown. A taxi will take an hour (on a fast road and a freeway) and cost about 100 yuan if you have good negotiating skills otherwise the driver will try to rob you blind for 150-200 or more if you're a foreigner. The driver will usually try to charge you a flat cash fee of 150 yuan or higher, but you shouldn't insist on paying according to the fare meter, as that will cos you more money. There is one shuttle bus between the airport and downtown that runs hourly from 6 am to 5 pm. It takes just as long and costs 20rmb. A subroute of Bus No. 16 also goes to the airport.

You can find flights to most major cities with Shandong Airlines [1] being the major carrier. (Shandong Airlines code-shares with Air China, so your ticket and check-in may well say Air China.)

[edit] By train

For the train, you will likely arrive at the main train station, north of town. Getting a taxi is chaotic and navigating the terminal is difficult so if you can get someone to meet you, it's advisable.

Jinan is on the major line from Shanghai to Beijing so you can take the bullet train. It's about 3.5 hours to Beijing and 5 to Shanghai. There's plenty of transport outside the station: the #83 bus stops nearby to take you downtown to more options, the K51 takes you to Quancheng Square and Thousand Buddha Mountain.

Several places around the city sell train tickets for an additional 5 yuan, just walk into a travel agency.

[edit] By bus

It's very easy to get to Jinan (from another city) with lots of buses running all day and some at night. Be sure to ask which station the bus will arrive in as there are two main ones, the long distance bus station (长途汽车站) and the train station bus station (客运汽车站).

[edit] By car

You could drive to Jinan, if you are insane and find the major hassles of Driving in China challenging. There are several expressways that are counter intuitive making access frustrating and bewildering even though they are in English.

[edit] Get around

First thing you have to consider is, do you really need to take the Bus? Taxis are the easiest options. Other options are various motorcycles, rickshaws, and other vehicles that are either unsigned or a bit flimsy-looking. These are hard to use as you have to negotiate not only the destination, but also the fare. Jinan is just not a tourist city for non-Chinese so traveling within the city can be frustrating.

[edit] By bus

Buses are to be avoided if you are a tourist. They are dangerously overcrowded with people who cough hack and spit at any given chance. Jinan people tend not to wash their hands at all, so if you are crazy enough to squeeze onto a bus (or fancy a dose of the flu), don't forget to bring the hand sanitizer. Still, if you're interested in traveling as the locals do, hop on.

Buses are 1 yuan, or 2 yuan for air-conditioned. Buses that begin with K are supposedly air-conditioned and even if the a/c is off or not working, you are likely to get a seat on these buses as they are much less crowded than the 1 yuan (no a/c) buses.

Most busses with two digits serve the central city (which is tiny). Three digit ones are either coming from or going to the suburbs (may be very far). Bus stops are easily identifiable and bus numbers are written in the Western numbers both on the busses and at the bus stops. The lists of stops for a given route are posted at every bus stop, but in Chinese only, although the beginning and end stations are written in pinyin.

[edit] By taxi

Taxis drivers do not speak English, but you can point on a map where you want to go or maybe write it in pinyin ("English" letters.) This will add a least half an hour to your journey, as Jinan Taxi drivers do not understand pinyin or maps. Although that sounds strange most learn the city from when they were young and have never even looked at a map - and as regards pinyin, this system of writing is used by foreigners to learn Chinese (most Chinese have problems understanding it, but after 20 minutes or so can work out a sentence). Now if you can't say your destination in Chinese, this equals saying " I will give you all my money if you drive me in a big circle". Price for most trips ranges from 7.50rmb to what ever they can milk you for. However, if you can speak your destination in Chinese, it can be a pleasant ride and your taxi driver might even try and teach you a few new words, he knows you know what the fare should be so he won't try and rip you off - he'll just try and short change you. Tip - count your change before stepping out. Also don't expect to get a taxi between the hours of 7am-8am and 6pm-7pm though this is the rush hour it is also change over time when the taxi drivers will change shift, if you are lucky enough to eventually get one expect them to tell you to get out again after giving them your destination with the excuse that it's too far and they need to go off shift. When travelling in a taxi and the driver randomly stops to pick up a passenger don't panic as this is normal, the idea is you pay for the trip and the second passenger will pay into the taxi drivers pocket doubling his takings and making you give a free ride to another person.

[edit][add listing] See

Really, there is not much to see or do. The city is polluted, the streets are grey and dirty, and the local attractions are not worth the taxi fare. If you are of European or African ethnicity prepare to be stared at and talked about like you have two heads. Stay long enough and you might just grow one, due to the high air pollution and cadmium levels. Jinan was in the top ten most polluted cities in the world in 2004 - ranked number 8. Today, due to politics and not Bribery the city is no longer on the list. The winters are damp, cold and grey and the summers are hotter than expected often pushing up to a cruel 45 degrees (or more) with 100% humidity. Due to politics again, the weather forecast will tell you it is 38 degrees, when it is really 45 (your thermometer is not broken). This is due to the fact that government and city workers are not required to work on days that reach 40 or higher.

On a wet (or polluted) day? Visit Qingdao or Wei Hai.

• Shandong Provincial Museum, on the end of Lishan Lu, in south Jinan near the Thousand Buddha Hill. Sometimes has travelling exhibits of interest. Check out the calendar dating from 134BC, and bronzes from the Shang and Zhou eras (1766-770BC). That's old. Currently closed for renovations until 8 June 2008.
• Scientific and Technical Museum east of the Spring City Square. Or just browse the interminable shiny floored shopping malls, such as the Silver Plaza next to the Hotel Sofitel, near the Square, and marvel at the new wealth of this emerging powerful nation.

Outside Jinan and to the north there is Hongyegu (Red Leaves Valley). An hour by bus (65, 29, 88) and up in the mountains brings you to this beautiful area which is always in a splendour of color in the fall. Red Leaf valley is a private park which encompasses mountains and lakes of great beauty. However, getting there is next to impossible without being fluent in Mandarin or having a Chinese translator due to the obscure address of the bus service and the weird rule of having to buy your tickets one day in advance. Longdong Cave, under "Longdong Mount" (wherever that is) apparently is also good in Autumn.

Jinan has 72 springs and is in fact famous for them from ancient times. However, up until a few years ago, most visitors were greeted by little more than a gurgle in the very few that have water left coming out or that haven't been filled in or had apartments built on top of them. The local government has put some energy into reducing the amount of water factories use though this has made absolutely no difference what so ever.

• Baotu Springs has several temples and pavilions. Many buses (5 41 49 66 K51 K52 K54 K59 72 80 82 85 102 106).
• Black Tiger Spring "sounding like the roar of a tiger"(maybe in anceint times when there was water) "gurgles out through three carved tiger heads" into the city moat.
• Five Dragon Pool "located on the outside of Ximen of old city of Jinan and on the north of Leyuan Bridge." Many buses (1,3,5,41,85,K50,K54,K55,K95,66,101,104).

Other than Springs:

• Thousand-Buddha Hill is a small hill (with many steps) you can climb to view the smog haze and overlook the city itself on clearer days which are few and far between. Allow about half and hour to reach the top and bring a face mask. RMB30 entrance.
• Jinan Zoo is to the north towards the Yellow River near Yaoshan Hill, and the Great Wall of the Qi State (dating back to 408BC) - all worth a round trip in a day.
• Horse Running Mountain is 40km south east and boasts the Jinan Wild Life World "forest safari park .. and among the first class even in Asia".
• Five Peak Mountain 20km south west, RMB25, peaks, pavilions, terraces,bridges, including the fascinatingly-named "Fairy-Greeting Bridge".
• Four Door Pagoda (Simen Ta) constructed in 611AD (Sui Dynasty) with Buddha, and 1000 year old pine tree. It's on the Qinglong mountain, 33km (20 miles) southeast of Jinan. Take a bus from the Long Distance East bus station 0800 returning 1500.
• Lingyan Temple. Founded about 1600 years ago, "one of the Four Scenic Spots of Temple in the World". Pavilions, bridges, halls, ponds, terraces, Buddhas, stone tablets, caves. The attractions include "One Line of Sky, Double Pine Bridge, and other grotesque (sic) spots like Spring on Mirror Pond ... etc". There is a bus going there from Jiefangqiao Bus Station.

Source: Jinan Municipal Traffic Tourist Map

• Thousand-Buddha Hill(Qianfoshan) 2.5 km south east. Temples, caves, pavilions, terraces, towers, and er Buddhas. RMB30 0700-1800. "On the eastern side of mountain stands the Shandong Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery for Revolution of 1911, a key historical relic site under provincial protection. Other scenic spots on the Mountain include the Tang-Dynasty Pagoda Tree Pavilion, Shandong Nine Clouds, and Cloud Passing Zen Temple, etc. If you prefer a bus ride, then you can go by bus to the top of the mountain along a mountain road winding up the eastern side of the mountain."

Source: JinanLive website.

[edit][add listing] Do

On Sunday there's an "English Corner" along the river. There's a specific location, but it doesn't really matter. If you wander along the river, grab an ice cream and sit down you'll soon be joined by people wanting to practice English... That is, if you like to be pestered by speakers of chinglish. Otherwise ignore Sunday mornings in this area like the plague.

There's a huge bookshop, with a mediocore foreign languages section (mostly old classic novels and dictionaries), just east of Maccas on the main drag (Quancheng Road). The management seem to tolerate the thousands of non-customers, using it as a reading room. It is well worth a visit - Borders could learn a thing or two!

At night in Quancheng Square or "Spring City Square" (the main square), you can watch kids compete in in-line skating, kung fu, or other competitions. Lots of people hang out there so prepeare to be stared at, as Jinan residents don't often see foreigners. If you are not comfortable to be the center of attention maybe it's best to avoid this spot.

Daming Lake is good for a stroll or you can ride the rides there. It's an oasis away from the traffic, right in the middle of the city and charges about 30 yuan to get in. Go early to avoid the crowds. Pleasure boats. Some good photography. Usually a wedding or two. And a nice dumpling restaurant outside opposite the main gate.

You can climb Hero Mountain or wander the botanical gardens in the SE. On weekends it's overcrowded so choose a weekday.

The campuses of Shandong University, Shandong Medical University, and Shandong Normal University are leafy, serene, and pleasant to stroll. This is of course by Chinese standards as they are not really leafy and pleasant at all, but more grey, dirty, solemn and sparse of foliage. Of the three, the Medical University is the nicest with some mildly interesting architecture - again, avoid the weekends.

[edit][add listing] Buy

Jinan isn't a tourist city so the prices seem always inflated for foreigners, but there isn't a whole lot you might want to buy in this second tier city.

There's a Wal-Mart Supercenter (just east of the bookshop) next to the Pizza Hut on Quancheng Rd, a Carrefour - north of Jiefan Lu on Lishan Lu, and a number of RT Marts which have daily supplies, food, clothing, and stuff like that. There is little in the way of western food (eg cheese) but you may be pleasantly surprised. Unimart next to Jenny's Cafe caters for the culturally deprived expat who wants his cornflakes.

There are markets in several locations, but you're likely only to find plastic tubs, brooms, hair products, bed sheets, clothing, etc., that's pretty much the same as what you find in the shops or just on the street at about the same prices. However, if you are of European decent, be prepared to be charged ridiculous prices due to the belief that you are white and therefore rich. Which comparatively we may well be, of course.

In the SE of the city there's a culture market but it's mostly paintings with little culture.

• Technology Market (take bus #1 or any bus up Jiefang Lu) from the main square east and get off at the giant building that looks like it's pregnant, cnr Jiefang Lu and Shanda Rd). A couple of blocks and five stories of high tech stuff. MP3 players, computers, accessories, cameras, stuff you've never seen before, etc. Few people seem to speak English there, but it can be fun to look around. Haggle, Haggle, Haggle, and then haggle some more. Even if you pay half of what you might pay in your own country, you will still end up paying twice what a local will pay!

[edit][add listing] Eat

First off the WHO insists that you should not be eating street food if you have not had your Typhoid and Hepatitis shots. Not so much a problem in developed cities in China but lets face it, this is Jinan. Now if you've had those shots it can be something of a challenge is you don't speak or read Chinese. Don't expect the Chinese takeaways you might get back home, the constituents and quality are vastly different; indeed, sometimes downright disappointing - ie unless you know he secrets of where to go, you can usually get better "Chinese food" back home! Dining is always better in groups, as plates are invariably "double-dipped" - ie shared by all hence the Hep and the typhoid. There is a great rush between 6pm and about 8pm, after which time everyone seems to disappear before their apartment complex gates are closed and are locked out.

There are the usual mediocre international fast food chains, plenty of street food, scores of little restaurants, etc. Shandong cuisine may not appeal to some as most of the dishes are very oily, salty, dirty and infested.

The easiest is either street food or one of the many buffets where you can see the food and order that way. Or if you want expensive and exotic (eg Japanese, go to the 4-5 star hotels).

There are some nice local restaurants, but if you can't read Chinese it is not worth the hassle and the free entertainment you provide to onlookers. Each restaurant seems to specialise in a style of cooking and a special dish or two. However, finding what you might like can be quite a challenge. Down Heping Lu near Shan Da Lu is a good roast duck restaurant (Quanjude).

There is a dingy-looking restaurant street (name?) just off of Quancheng Lu that snakes for about 2 blocks. Despite the narrow and pitted road, there are some nice restaurants here.

Behind the big mosque at Yongchang Lu is the muslim quarter of town where you'll find tons of bbq places and beer. The food is fresh, as earlier in the day sheep where standing where you are now eating (look for the red stain on the ground). You can't get fresher than that. However, the smell is off putting in the summer with no refridgeration and swarms of flies laying eggs in your about to be eaten lamb (cat meat according to local news sources has been used in these places to boost profits and keep the cat population down).

There is a great Pakistani restaurant in the Muslim quarter which foreigners seem to frequent.

Jing Er Lu in the NW of the city is a night market with sidestreets full of food.

[edit][add listing] Drink

Not much choice in Jinan, due to the tiny population of native English speakers residing in Jinan. Statistics from the PSB state, that as of January 2008 the highest foreign population is Korean, standing at just over 4000. Bottom of the list is native English speakers at 71. Canadian 28... American 25... English 7... New Zealander 5... Australian 8... Ireland 4...

However, their are also many non native english speaking Europeans (from Eastern Europe) and quite a few Russians.

• English Corner, near the Sofitel Hotel, offers expensive bottled beer and sullen staff in a basement. It advertises to locals that it is the place to practice English with foreigners (hence the name "English Corner")- so prepare to be annoyed and questioned repeatedly in chinglish, this is also one of many bars in Jinan that play music so loud that you'll have tinnitus for the rest of your life.
• Jenny's Cafe, right across the street from the Bank of China on LiShan Lu. It offers a variety of cuisines, including Mexican, and Italian. It's open all day and is a great place to relax, study, or run into other expats. To get here just tell the taxi driver Lishan Lu he Wenhua Xi Lu. (Source: JinanLive website). This place used to be a foreigner hangout until management changed and the staff became unfriendly, the dishes halved in size and the prices doubled. Expensive western food in addition to many expensive drinks. Note: the place has a roach problem.
• Pyramid, also in the SE of the city is a popular disco. This place went out of business due to the lack of foreigners in Jinan. (It marketed to foreigners, unfortunately there is few in this city)
• Wei Wei. A foreigner hangout on Wednesdays and is supposedly a big beer bust in a dingy atmosphere. To find Wei Weis, go down the side street past the BaoTuQuan Restaurant, on Jing Qi Lu, and make a right when you see the most smoke. It's about 2 buildings in. A popular activity here is to do the 100 stick and beer challenge, this is good if you want to spend another week recovering in hospital replacing body fluids (Bring plenty of imodium pills) (Source: JinanLive website)

Otherwise, the street is full of drinking places a la Chinese - impossibly low tables and chairs spill out all over the street and dish up skewers of meats for a few cents along with a few other things like soybeans or such. Beer flows freely but due to racism you may be refused a seat. Don't be put off when they tell you there is no beer, just move on to the next spot as there is many.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

You'll be lucky to get some as there is prolific construction all around the city and as there is no noise pollution laws or restrictions, expect to be driven mad with the continuous sound of 20T wagons driving past your hotel or apartment window from 8pm to 6am during the night and explosions from rock blasting for foundations and breating problems with the vast amounts of dust that come through the less than adequitely sealed windows into you apartment and ultimately your lungs.

There are plenty of places to choose from in the 200 yuan range, with many bookable online at your favorite online travel agency. Usually the rates quoted at the online travel agencies are better than posted rates at the hotels themselves. Walk-up rates should be about the same as an online travel agency, maybe a few yuan up or down.

There's a Crowne Plaza on the nicest street in town and there's a complex of fancy hotels in the swank SE of the city at the end of Lishan Lu. Those are all surprisingly affordable for what they are, especially those in the SE, considering they've got beautiful grounds, five star services and facilities, etc., for maybe $70-80. Zhong Hao Grand Hotel in Lixia District is also quite affordable. It particularly boasts beautiful business suites as well as conference facilities. Online booking available on the website.

The SE is the nicest area of town to stay, although downtown is not a bad option.

There are also hotels at the transport nexus at the train station, but that's a little removed from the sites.

Don't forget your passport to register your stay in the hotel as all foreigners need to do this, or you could be taking the street gutter option instead.

[edit] Get out

• Qingdao - home of China's favorite beer
• Yantai
• Weihai - China's Cancun for Koreans
• Mount Tai- climb the mountain, see the temples
• Qufu - UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Beijing
• Sudzhou
• Shanghai

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